VOL. 42, NO. 4 July/August 2004

The

Los Angeles FirefighterOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City—Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC

The Los Angeles Firefighter1571 Beverly Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90026(#ISSN01907573)

July/August, 2004

PERIODICALPostage Paid

atLos Angeles, CA

In This Issue . . .Article Page(s)Stewards Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Report from the President – The Value of Affiliation . . . . 3Cugee’s Arsonist Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Introducing New Fire Commissioner Veronica Gutiérrez . 5Consortium Starts Testing New Turnouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5CPF Convention Moves Boldly Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7LAFD Grass Valley Reunion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9LAFD Behavioral Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Your Health – Cholesterol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Bob Ortega Work Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Ronald W. Reagan Procession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

by Mike McOskerFirst Vice President

This year’s City budgetprocess was a tough one foreveryone involved – whetherthey be employee organiza-tions, Councilmembers andtheir staffs, the various depart-ment managers, the Mayor andhis staff, or community advoca-cy groups. Due to the ongoingthreats of massive grab-backsof local revenue by the Stateand the resulting uncertainty,just about every City servicewas on the chopping block. Inthe end, every department, withthe exceptions of Fire andPolice, suffered budget cuts.

While Police budgets seem toincrease annually as a matter ofcourse, the same cannot be said

for Fire. The progress we wereable to make is the result ofold-fashioned planning andhard work. Planning and hardwork, that is, in the context of apolitical environment thatUFLAC accepts and workswithin for the benefit of theMembers. As a matter of fact,there is not a single significantimprovement that has been got-ten out of the last two budgetcycles that hasn’t been the fruitof tenacious and repetitive faceto face lobbying of Mayoralstaff and every Council mem-ber by your President. Lately,nobody is just throwing moneyat any department (exceptPolice), which keeps Pat in afull-court press most of thetime.

While we made some signif-icant gains, one hurdle endedup being just a little too high.More on that later.

Early in the process, Depart-ment Management and UFLACagreed to present a unifiedfront on some top priorities.They included getting 9 newDispatchers at OCD, continu-ing the service improvementsscheduled under the 5-yearEMS Plan, and getting as manytrucks as possible restored to 5member staffing. In this casethe “unified front” operates byUFLAC and the Chief Officersgetting Department Manage-ment to admit that we need thepositions and then the Uniongoing out and actually gettingit done. Hey, whatever works.

9 New Dispatchers at OCD

This year we’re getting the 9new Dispatchers at OCD, whichwill partially alleviate a grow-ing and critical workload/stressproblem “down there”.

Truck staffing being restored

Thanks largely to theMayor’s and several Councilmembers’ ongoing commit-ment to the restoration of Truckstaffing, Pat was able to beatback what began as a CAOattempt to eliminate all 30Truck Company Firefightersthat we got added last year. Inthe end, we not only stoppedMr. Fujioka cold but we got theMayor and Council to commit

over $700,000 from the unap-propriated balance to restore 7more Trucks to 5 members nearthe end of this coming fiscalyear. Barring a large andunforeseen revenue drop, theTrucks will get staffed. Thatwill leave us with 12 to go.

Special recognition toCouncil Members

The support of three Council-men in particular was critical anddeserves special recognition. Asmembers of the 5-member Bud-get and Financial Committeewhich proposed the staffingincreases to the full Council,Councilmen Tony Cardenas,Eric Garcetti and Greig Smithmade the difference on this issue.

2004-2005 Fire Department Budget Approved

Nine companies of Firefighters, two rescue ambulances and one Battalion Officer CommandTeam responded to a greater alarm structure fire at 1637 Carmona Avenue in the Mid-Cityarea. First units on scene reported an eight-car garage with five cars inside well involvedwith fire exposing a two-story apartment building to the south and another garage to thewest. Firefighters using handlines confined the fire to the eight-car garage and the westexposure garage with some minor damage to the two-story apartment. No injuries werereported. The cause of the fire is suspicious.

Photo by Martin Nate RawnerInformation by Bob Collis LAFD PSO

by Paul GilbrookDirector

Contra Costa County Fire-fighters President Lou Paulsonhas taken the reins of Califor-nia’s largest and most influen-tial firefighter organization,after he was elected Presidentof the 30,000-member Califor-nia Professional Firefighters.Paulson was unanimouslyelected as CPF President at theorganization’s 39th BiennialConvention in Palm Springs,replacing President Dan Terry,who retired after 31 years lead-ing CPF through an extraordi-

nary period of expansion andsuccess. The convention alsoelected former OES DirectorDallas Jones as CPF’s new Sec-retary-Treasurer.

“CPF has been, and will con-tinue to be, the united voice offront line firefighters in thestate of California,” said Presi-dent Paulson. “Thanks to Pres-ident Terry’s leadership, we arerock-solid and will continue tomove forward with one vision... and one voice.” Lou Paulson

Lou Paulson, 45, has been afirefighter since he was 17,signing on as a reserve engi-neer with the West County FireDistrict (in Contra Costa Coun-ty) in 1976. He moved to Con-tra Costa County Fire Depart-ment eight years later, and waspromoted to Fire Captain in1992. President Paulson hasserved as a consultant on healthand safety issues for FEMAand served on more than adozen different boards and

committees on issues rangingfrom EMS response to haz-ardous materials.

Dallas Jones

Over 400 CPF delegates attend 39th Biennial Convention…

Lou Paulson to Head California’sLargest Firefighter Organization

Continued on page 6

Continued on page 5

Page 2 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2004

These emblems on the masthead of any labor publication certifies that the publi-cation is a member in good standing of the International Labor Communications

Association and is bound to observe the ILCA Code of Ethics

IAFF and AFL-CIO affiliates have prior approval to reprint or excerpt articles inthe Los Angeles Firefighter — Please include credit line.

Note: Photos and cartoons may not be reprinted without the expressed writtenpermission of the photographer or artist.

The Los Angeles Firefighter(ISSN #0190-7573)

Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLCOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City is

Published Bi-MonthlyPeriodical Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA

Known Office of Publication isUnited Firefighters of Los Angeles City,

1571 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles,California 90026-5798

POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to The Los Angeles Firefighter1571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026-5798

Union Office Phone NumbersAdministration:

(213) 895-4006 - (213) 485-2091 - Toll Free (800) 252-8352Benefits:

(213) 895-4990

Code-a-phone:

(213) 485-2090

FAX: (213) 250-5678

EAP Office: (213) 895-0910 or (800) 252-8352

EAP FAX: (213) 481-1038

EAP 24 Hr. Help LineAnswering Service: (213) 250-1212

AffiliationsInternational Assn. of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO-CLC

California Professional Fire FightersL.A. County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

California Labor Federation, AFL-CIOAmerican Federation of Labor

International Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO-CLCWestern Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO

Los Angeles Firefighter Newspaper StaffJim Perry-Editor

jpfire1@charter.netMember of the Communications Workers of America

CWA Local 9400, Southern California Newspaper Guild, AFL-CIO-CLC

Harry Carter, Ph.D - Staff Writer Aaron Espy - Staff WriterPeggy Sweeney - Staff Writer Jerry Smith - Staff Writer

Contributing Photographers

Note: CFPA denotes membership in theCalifornia Fire Photographers Association

Ross Benson, CFPABonnie Burrow

Isaac Burks, LAFD Gene Blevins, CFPABrian Haimer, CFPA

Bill Hartenstein, CFPAChris Jensen, CFPA

Brian Litt, CFPAJuan Guerra, Valley News Service

Allison MeadowsMike Meadows, CFPA

Jeff Miller, CFPA Martin Nate Rawner, CFPA

Boris Yaro

WESTERN LABOR COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION

This union newspaper is printed by a union printer on union-made recycled paper.

UFLAC 2002-2004 Executive BoardUFLAC 2002-2004 Executive Board

PRESIDENTPatrick S. McOsker, Engineer. . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

SECRETARYDon R. Forrest, Inspector I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

FIRST VICE PRESIDENTMichael K. McOsker, Engineer. . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

SECOND VICE PRESIDENTStephen E. Norris, Captain II. . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 63-B

TREASURERBrian K. Hishinuma, Captain II. . . . . . . . . Fire Station 38-C

DIRECTORRandy W. Beaty, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 60-BJames G. Featherstone, Captain II, . . . . Fire Station 64-ALawrence D. Fierro, Firefighter III . . . . Fire Station 114-BPaul J. Gilbrook, Apparatus Operator . . Fire Station 11-ATed E. Nonini, Firefighter III . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 70-C

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE DIRECTORJerry Brakeman, Retired FirefighterAttendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

EDITORJim Perry, Retired Fire Captain II. . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

Paramedic CommitteeMembers

David PimentleCommittee Chair . FS-46-ABill Ramsey . . . . FS-74-ADave Barnes . . . . FS-86-CMike Brown . . . . FS-84-ACedrick Cleveland. FS-38-BRey Delgado . . . . FS-42-BJim Gibson. . . . . . FS-6-AAaron Mungary. FS-47-CDave Raya . . . . . FS-44-BPaul Semerjian FS-105-CStacy Taylor . . . . FS-27-CLou Torres . . . . . FS-20-C

General Membership Meetings

UFLAC-Union Offices1571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles

Refreshments and Free Parking Available

July 21“C” Shift

0900 Hours

August 25“B” Shift

0900 Hours

If You See An Error…

The Los Angeles Firefighterstrives to maintain accuracyand fairness in all stories,graphics, photographs andother copy that appears in ourunion newspaper. It is our prac-tice to correct errors in theissue immediately followingtheir discovery.

If you have a correction orclarification request, please callthe UFLAC office at 800-252-8352 or email the editor:jpfire1@charter.net

Steward’s Corner

by Paul J. GilbrookDirector

Brothers and Sisters:As a reminder, stewards

meetings are held once a monthat 0730 hours before theUFLAC General MembershipMeeting. We need moreinvolvement in the steward pro-gram. Please check the StationStewards list on this page andsee if you have a steward atyour work location…if not,please get involved yourself ortalk it up with your co-workersand encourage another brotheror sister to be your steward.

Check our UFLAC Website:www.uflac.org

At our last steward meetingUFLAC President Pat McOskeropened the meeting updatingthe Stewards concerning theissue of CSFA (California StateFirefighters’ Association) andthe CPF (California Profession-al Firefighters). There havebeen problems between the twogroups going back to the1950’s. Pat discussed the moreimportant disparities betweenthe two and there was consider-able discussion amongst theattending stewards. Your Exec-utive Board will be puttingtogether the needed informationon the history of both organiza-tions and try to come up with asolution beneficial to the mem-bers of Local 112.

A steward brought up theneed for a mission statementfrom the Local. Dave Raya,Tom Kennington and myselfwill be meeting in the nearfuture to accomplish this and toput more information on ourWebsite.

Under the ‘Old Business’portion of the meeting, stew-ards brought up several con-cerns about the overtime hiringprocedures. Pat gave the histo-ry of our Labor Management

Work Group. This group islooking at streamlining theovertime hiring procedures. Itis in the early stages, but whenthis group finalizes its recom-mendations to the ExecutiveBoard, the Board will thenbring it to the membership fordiscussion and a vote.

Pat also brought up the issueof some members requestingthe Union’s accomplishments,past, present and what is in theworks down the road.

Station StewardsBanks, Michelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-QISCastro, Joe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-35-CCarpenter, Gary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High Rise UnitChan, Reuben . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-64-AColeman, Joe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-47-CCrandall, Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-105-ADelgado, Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS- 42-BDonato, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-112-CFabela, Dave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-27-BFletcher, Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-109-CGibson, Jim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-6-AHaro, Ray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-23-AHurtado, Francisco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-70-CJames, George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCD-CJaminal, Adelino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-27-CJust, James A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-69-AKennedy, Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-15-AKennington, Tom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-3-CKleckner, Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-40-CMadrigal, Greg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-37-CMalais, Gerry B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-88-BMerrel, Brett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-4-AMolina, Alexander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCD-AMullen, Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-94-BMyers, Ron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-96-ANajera, Ricardo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-89-BOropeza, Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-1-CPimentle, Dave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-46-APinel, Michael A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-2-BPowell, Mathew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-85-BPumphrey, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-34-CRainey, Tom F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S-80-CRamsey, Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-74-ARaya, David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-44-BRivas, Richard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-25-BRiley, Bryan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-12-CRuffino, Bob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-74-CRuvalcaba, Leonard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS -17-CSanchez, Joe R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arson SectionSemerjian, Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-105-CSifuentes, David. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-1-BSmith, Doak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-14-ASullivan, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-92-ASouter, Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-9-CSutliff, Steve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-98-CTeeter, Jason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-60-BTorres, Lou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-20-CUglesich, Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . Harbor Industrial UnitWilkerson, Leslie D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arson SectionWilliamson, James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FS-4-B

July and AugustStation Stewards Meetings

Time: 7:30 a.m.Prior to Monthly Membership Meetings

July/August 2004 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 3

Pat McOsker

Report from the PresidentReport from the President

Photo by Joe Ortiz, LAFD-HS

Every now and then someoneasks me, “Why do we belong tothe IAFF?” The questionalways takes me back a littlebit. I seem to forget that fire-fighters, like people every-where, lead very busy lives,and therefore aren’t able totune into the doings of theunion at the international level,or at the local level for thatmatter, 100% of the time. I for-get that it’s only natural forgood union members to some-times wonder, “What has theUnion done for me lately?”

So I quickly get over it, andthen I answer the question.Over the years I’ve learned thatthere are two good ways torespond. If the brother or sisterhas the time, I run down a par-tial list of IAFF achievements.If not, I offer a single, easy tounderstand example of thevalue of union affiliation.

IAFF HistoryEven the long version is real-

ly just an abbreviation. Itwould be impossible to chroni-cle everything that the IAFFhas done over the past 86 yearsto improve the lives and wel-fare of our nation’s firefightersand paramedics. First formedin 1918 by a delegation of 36brothers to a convention inWashington D.C., the organiza-tion has since grown to repre-sent some 2,700 local affiliatesacross the U.S. and Canada.Today, the IAFF is the unifiedvoice for more than a quarter ofa million paid professional fire-fighters and paramedics. Itsmembers proudly serve andprotect more than 85% of ournation’s people and their prop-erty.

Accomplishments andvictories for firefightersI tell people that one of the

first accomplishments of theIAFF was to end the indenturedservant mentality of an earlierfire service era, by bringingabout the shift schedules thatwe firefighters enjoy today.Throughout the ensuing yearsthe organization has fought forand won countless victoriesthrough legislation and regula-tions to protect the health andsafety of front-line responders.The IAFF led the way to enact-ing ground-breaking heart andlung disability laws for ournation’s firefighters. The IAFFalso championed federalOSHA 2 in 2 out regulationsand the NFPA 1710 Standard,leading to increases in firecompany staffing levels and a

greater margin of safety forbrothers and sisters across thecountry.

A long hard fought IAFF lob-bying effort led to the inclusionof firefighters into the federalPublic Safety Officer Benefit in1976. In the wake of the tragicevents of 9-11-01, the PSOBbenefit was nearly doubled.Today it provides $267,494 tothe survivors of firefighterskilled in the line of duty.

In 1999, the IAFF securedthe first federal dollars for localfire departments with the pas-sage and funding of the F.I.R.E.Act. Since then, IAFF spon-sored S.A.F.E.R. legislationhas become law, and HomelandSecurity First Respondermoney has been made availableas well. As of today, and thanksin large part to the work of theIAFF, over 4.5 billion federaldollars go out each year tolocal fire departments like ours.

The IAFF is unparalleled indeveloping and providing train-ing programs for firefighters.Their Haz Mat and Weapons ofMass Destruction programshave already been offered toover 400,000 men and womenacross the country. The IAFFalso fights hard for pensionimprovements through federalregulations and with a strongpresence on panels and govern-ing boards of public pensionorganizations.

So if time permits, some orall of that is how I answer the,“Why belong to the IAFF?”question. But when only aquick response will do, I haveusually fallen back on some-thing I first heard from an old-timer many years ago. I explainthat the IAFF has successfullyrepelled repeated attempts overthe years to force firefighters topay into social security. I tellunion members that the amountof money we save from thatalone more than pays our duesto the IAFF.

Overtime for FirefightersBut now I have a new single-

issue tidbit to offer. Just a cou-ple of months ago the IAFFwon a huge victory for yourpaycheck and mine by manag-ing to protect our time-and-a-half for overtime provisions inFLSA law. As a result, we canthank our great InternationalUnion for all of the half-timemoney that we will earn overthe remainders of our LAFDcareers.

You may recall that last year,the Bush Administration spon-sored an appropriations bill

that instructed the Departmentof Labor to rewrite FLSA regu-lations in a manner that wouldhave classified firefighters andparamedics as “professional”or “managerial” employees notentitled to time-and-a-half forovertime. The bill sailedthrough the Republican domi-nated House of Representa-tives, and from there it went onto the Senate.

The IAFF’s approach andappeal is much more bi-parti-san than most other labororganizations. PresidentSchaitberger believed that anall-out IAFF lobbying effort todefeat the measure in the morelabor-friendly (but also Repub-lican dominated) Senate heldpromise. Local Union Presi-dents like me were asked tocontact their respective Sena-tors. Senators Boxer and Fein-stein proved to be “easy sells”on this issue and they ultimate-ly led the fight on the Senatefloor. Senator Boxer alsohelped by suggesting that wemake certain that a few keySenate Republicans receiveextra attention from their localfirefighters.

Local news agencies soonpicked up on the IAFF’s effort,and firefighters became theposter children in the battle tokill the proposed anti-laborovertime regulations. I wascontacted by a news crew (aswere many other local presi-

dents around the country), andI gave an interview which wasbroadcast on Channel 7. Myinterview was one of many onthe subject over the next fewdays.

Ultimately, under intensepressure, the Senate blockedthe measure by a vote of 46 to54. As a result, the bill went toa joint House / Senate Commit-tee in order to work out a com-promise. As the Committeeworked, the IAFF lobbied hardbehind the scenes to minimizethe bill’s eventual impact onworking people in general andfirefighters in particular. In theend the Committee proposed,and the Senate finally passed, abill which specifically andcompletely exempted firefight-ers, paramedics and otheremergency personnel from theFLSA rewrite. Our overtimepay was saved.

California ProfessionalFirefighters

No less impressive would bea list of the accomplishments ofour great state organization; theCalifornia Professional Fire-fighters. I can make just aspowerful an argument for ourcontinued participation in theCPF as I can the IAFF. CPFPresident Emeritus Dan Terrygot California firefighters thenation’s first cancer presump-tive law in 1982, and todaybrothers and sisters across the

nation can thank him for themany presumptive laws pat-terned after ours. The CPFrecently won binding interestarbitration for firefighters aftera 35 year battle, and it willprove be an effective tool forachieving fairness at the bar-gaining table. The CPF’s manyvictories in the areas of fire-fighter rights, pensions andpaychecks are simply toonumerous to list. In many ways,the CPF is the finest organiza-tion in the firefighter labormovement in this country.

Legislative and political vic-tories are nice, but there is somuch more to be gained bybelonging to labor organiza-tions that stretch beyond ourown backyard. Affiliation withour International Unionstrengthens us and we givestrength to the International.Solidarity with rank-and-filefirefighters across the state andacross the country is critical toour continued success. I sup-pose that the simplest answerto the question, “Why belong?”is really just another question;“How in the world could weafford not to belong to the CPFand the IAFF?”

The Value of Affiliation

Greater alarm structure fire at 1637 Carmona Avenue, Mid-City area. See front page fordescription of fire.

Photo by Martin Nate Rawner

Fraternally,

Page 4 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2004

by Randy BeatyDirector

Justice normally requires thatan issue be carefully examinedbefore rendering a decision. Wehave learned that the Board ofPrison Terms will be revisitingtheir recommendation to releasean arsonist who was responsiblefor the death of Apparatus Oper-ator Tom Taylor. This will bedone hopefully, to reverse adecision they recently made.The Board reviewed the case ofMr. Mario Catanio in March2004 and determined that hewas a candidate for parole. Wedid not agree. Some backgroundwill prove useful.

After the exhaustive effortsof LAFD Arson InvestigatorsMario Catanio was convictedfor the 1st degree murder ofApparatus Operator Tom Tay-lor. He was tragically killed at

the Cugees Restaurant fire inJanuary of 1981. He left a wifeand two children. MarioCatanio was sentenced inDecember of 1983 to serve 25years to life for his crime.

This matter has been dormantfor these many years until theCalifornia Board of PrisonTerms met in their regularmonthly meeting in March ofthis year and made a surprisingannouncement. Normally anyconsideration for parole requiresthat the Board first notify theaffected agencies, families, vic-tims, etc. and allow them ade-quate time to prepare any objec-tions that might help to providefor an accurate recommenda-tion. This did not happen.

The Board is also responsibleto examine the behavior of theinmate while he has been inprison. Any conflict or aninability to co-exist with othersis considered cause for a denialfor parole. This inmate hasbeen in conflicts but those inci-dents were either not reportedor overlooked.

Objections to Early Release

The Los Angeles PoliceChief and the Los Angeles FireChief learned of the matterearly and both fired off lettersto the Board offering theirobjections to the recommenda-

tion. Since then, the Depart-ment and members of UFLAChave pulled together in a hugeway and sent mountains ofobjection letters to both theBoard of Prison Terms and theGovernor of California. Addi-tionally, members of the com-munity have joined in alongwith elected local officials.

There has been local televi-sion coverage on the issue.Department managers havedrafted sample letters and madethem available to memberswishing to join the campaign.The LAFD’s Chief Officer’sAssociation organized andsecured 100% participation inthe letter writing with both theiractive and retired membership.

I could not help but think ofthe scene in “Miracle on 34thStreet” when the bags of letterswere dumped on the judge’sdesk in the courtroom scene. Iwant to personally thank allwho have taken the time towrite letters on behalf of thisissue. It truly is important andsends a message out to crimi-nals everywhere that when youkill a firefighter, expect to pay ahigh, high price. Nothing lesscan ever be acceptable.

What’s Next?There are a couple of things I

would like to ask of all con-cerned. The Board of Prison

Terms has placed this issue ontheir July 13th meeting agenda.They normally meet at theirSacramento headquarters locat-ed at 1515 K Street, on the 5thfloor. The meeting will begin at1330 hours.

Our advisor has asked thatwe schedule a few speakers forthat meeting who can offer allthe pertinent perspectives (andavoid redundancy). He sug-gested that the Taylor familymembers speak. Tom’s fatherhas agreed to attend and speak.It was also suggested thatmembers who worked withTom and were there the nightof the fire speak. BattalionChief Mike Regan (Task ForceCommander the night of thefire) has agreed to attend andspeak at the meeting.

He also asked that a unionofficial speak and offer a “fireservice” perspective. UFLACPresident Pat McOsker hasextended an invitation to thiswriter to fill that role. Family,co-workers and fire serviceprofessionals should be suffi-cient for speaking. But there issomething else.

The meeting room can holdroughly between 75 and 100people. It would mean a lot ifthat room could be filled withfire service professionals thatcould provide the visual pres-entation that would amplify the

message of all three speakers. Iwould like to ask any willingparticipants who will be in theSacramento area around July13th to throw on a FirefighterT-shirt and join us.

Your presence can be whatmoves the Board of PrisonTerms to reverse their recom-mendation and keep a murdererbehind bars. There is only oneconcern. This meeting wasoriginally scheduled for June8th but the Board quicklyrescheduled the meeting withlittle explanation. That couldhappen again. Normally, theypost their agenda on their website 10 days in advance of theirscheduled meeting.

Once they confirm their agen-da, UFLAC intends to engageall the appropriate resources. Iwould ask all interested mem-bers to simply keep a close eyeon the www.uflac.org web sitefor the most current updatesregarding our participation atthat meeting. It is almost certainthat July 13th is the day but allattendees should certainly veri-fy that information at theUFLAC web site on or aboutJuly 3, 4, or 5 at the latest.

Thank you for your interestand assistance in this importantmatter.

Cugee Fire Arsonist Hearing…

Our Voice Will be Heard

* Refer to photo 3.Cugee’s Restaurant in North

Hollywood was heavily chargedwith smoke when the roof sud-denly collapsed. Task Force

Commander Michael D. Reagan(left) and Firefighter Burton H.Sander of Truck 60 (right) man-aged to climb over a parapet andhung there while awaiting rescue.

Battalion 14 Aide Ronald S. Ley-decker and Firefighter ThomasA. Shrout of Engine 60 quicklyclimbed Truck 60’s aerial to saveother firefighters. Firefighter

Coleman R. “Bud” Lawson washelped onto the ladder, whileShrout reached down to grabApparatus Operator Thomas G.Taylor’s outstretched hand (see

inset arrow). Their hands touchedseveral times, but Taylor fell intothe fire and was killed.

Photos byMike Meadows, CFPA

1. 2.

3.* 4.

Thomas G. Taylor

July/August 2004 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 5

13 V-staffed ambulancesgo online

UFLAC continued its sup-port of the Department’s 5-year

EMS Plan. As a result 13 V-staffed ambulances will goonline this year. However, inpublic hearings, PresidentMcOsker reminded the Councilthat full time dedicated Para-medic Ambulances remain thebest way to deliver the service.

Fire Chief succeeds ineliminating 5 Captains

in the FPBThe hurdle that was just a

little too high was the FireChief ’s proposal to elimi-nate 5 Captain positions inthe Fire Prevention Bureau.In a tough budget year,even our friends were per-suaded when the Chief saidhe had too many supervi-sors in the Bureau. We were

angered but not surprised tohear that the Chief had alsocharacterized the eliminat-ed positions as having beenlong-term vacancies. Intruth, they had been vacantonly a few weeks due to arushed special duty detailprogram which was thenand is currently the subjectof an Unfair EmployeeRelations Practice charge.Like we say, angry but notsurprised.

All in all, we did well giventhe circumstances. Ultimately,this is the decision-makers’acknowledgement of the excel-lent and truly vital work doneby Los Angeles’ Bravest – theFirefighters and Paramedics ofthe LAFD.

New City BudgetContinued from page 1

Mike McOsker

Consortium StartsTesting New Turnouts

by Ted NoniniDirector

About eighteen months ago,a consortium was formed forthe purpose of evaluating andtesting new turnouts for ourmembers. The consortium orig-inally consisted of the L.A.City Fire Department, the L.A.County Fire Department, theVentura County Fire Depart-ment, and the Orange CountyFire Department. OrangeCounty is no longer with theconsortium.

The thinking behind the con-sortium was to get as muchvaluable information from asmany different fire departmentsas possible. This would allowthe best possible product to riseto the top, and the outcomeshould be the best possibleturnouts for all of our members.

The consortium evaluated allthe possible materials that cur-rent turnouts are made of, andwith the help of laboratory testresults, they came up with afew different ensembles whichnot only provide excellent pro-tection, but are morebreathable, more comfortableand weigh less than the currentturnouts that we use now.

After months of research andevaluation, three turnout manu-facturers met the requirementsand produced several sets ofturnouts to be field-tested by allthe departments in the consor-tium. These new sets of turnoutswere distributed to selectedmembers of all three depart-ments in the middle of May, andthe testing process began.

The participants from ourdepartment were picked from alist of several volunteers, and aspecial thanks goes out to allwho did volunteer! The follow-ing is a list of those “luckyones” picked:

Captain II Craig MittryCaptain II Fred MathisCaptain I John PecelA/O Sean MillettA/O Tom KitahataFF/P Todd GravittFF Steve HammFF Janet Cline

If you see any of these mem-bers “out there” be sure to askthem about their new turnouts.

CPAT TestAfter several washings and

drying, our members got theirnew gear and testing began. Thefirst step of the test was to runeach set of new gear through theCPAT test. This was extremelytaxing to each of our members.

I am happy to report that allof the members came throughwith flying colors.

The CPAT test is a physicalability test that was developedby the International Associa-tion of Fire Fighters (IAFF)and the International Associa-tion of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) andit is an excellent test of a per-son’s ability to perform severalbasic firefighting functions.This test is recognized by manyfire departments across thecountry, and the L.A. City FireDepartment has adobted it asour entry-level test for futurecandidates.

Because this test is made upof several basic firefightingfunctions, such as pulling ceil-ing and hose, it was chosen tostart off the testing process.The principal behind this wasnot to test the members, but tocompare the functionality ofthe different sets of turnouts

doing the same firefightingfunctions. The unfortunate partof this was that our membershad to go through this processfour times! It was a very longday but the information collect-ed was very important, and Ipersonally thank all of you foryour gumption and intensity!

Three month wear testOnce the marathon was over,

each member took their newturnouts back to their respec-tive station to begin a threemonth wear test. This testshould be concluded aroundSeptember 1, 2004.

The entire process, albeit along one, should produce thebest possible turnouts. If allgoes well, the information col-lected over the next threemonths will produce a new set

of turnouts that will be moreprotective, lighter, and morecomfortable than anything wehave seen before.

The hard work of the consor-tium and all of the volunteerstesting the new gear deserves ahearty thank you from all of us,and hopefully, all of us.

By the way, once this processis over, the consortium plans tostay intact for testing and evalu-ating all of the safety equipmentwe wear. So in the future, lookfor more opportunities to volun-teer to test the latest and greatestsafety gear available to us. Theeventual outcome should be thebest possible safety gear for allof our members.

If anyone needs more infor-mation or has any questions,please call me at UFLAC orFire Station 70-C.

Los Angeles Mayor JimHahn appointed VerónicaGutiérrez to the City’s Boardof Fire Commissioners. Ms.Gutiérrez will replace FireCommissioner Corina Alar-con who has been appointedto the Police Commission.

The Fire Commission is afive-person civilian Boardappointed by the Mayor andaffirmed by the City Coun-cil. Pursuant of the CityCharter, these esteemed citi-zens provide direction to theDepartment through FireChief William Bamattre.

Verónica Gutiérrez servesas Director of RegulatoryCompliance for Southern Cal-ifornia Edison. Prior to herwork for Edison, she served

as an Economic DevelopmentDeputy for former Los Ange-les City CouncilmemberJackie Goldberg and as aField Director for current LosAngeles County SupervisorGloria Molina.

Ms. Gutiérrez is an attor-ney who worked for theCivil Rights law firm of Littand Marquez specializing incivil rights litigation. Shemanaged cases involvingSpanish-speaking clients inthe areas of slum housing,police abuse, and employ-ment discrimination.

Ms. Gutiérrez is a graduate ofthe Boalt Hall School of Law atUniversity of California,Berkeley and received her A.B.from Princeton University.

Introducing our NewFire Commissioner

Verónica Gutiérrez

Photos by Ted Nonini

Page 6 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2004

Dallas Jones – a former CPFSecretary Treasurer and 32-year fire service veteran – iscoming home to CPF after fiveyears as OES Director duringwhich he strengthened Califor-nia’s incomparable mutual aiddisaster response system.

“No organization has donemore for the men and womenon the front lines than CPF,”declared Jones. “It’s an honorto once again be part of CPF’scommitment to protecting frontline firefighters and the citizensthey serve.”

I have known both Lou andDallas professionally and per-sonally for over 25 years.They have always been thestrength to go to on issuesregarding professional fire-fighters. Having attended therecent 39th Biennial CaliforniaProfessional Firefighter’s Con-vention. I witnessed historywith the retirement of Dan

Terry and the election of a newpresident not seen for 31 years.Lou Paulson, who I know willcarry on the movement withthe same ferver and obsessionthat Dan did.

Along side Lou, is our newbut not unknown, brother DallasJones who was also elected asthe CPF Secretary Treasurer.Dallas has been the Los AngelesCounty Firefighter’s Local 1014President and he was the Secre-tary Treasurer of the CPF whenhe was appointed the OESDirector by Governor GrayDavis. Dallas has and is every-thing this organization needs tomove forward with tremendousknowledge and strength throughthese trying times.

Congratulations to Lou andDallas for being elected to thesetwo vital positions in our greatorganization. We will be look-ing to both of them for theirstrength, guidance and leader-ship.

Dan Terry, who announcedhis retirement earlier this year,served as president of CPF fornearly half of its 66-year exis-tence. Under his leadership,CPF’s membership grew six-fold, developed groundbreak-ing apprenticeship and healthand safety programs and builtthe California FirefightersMemorial in Capitol Park. NowCPF President Emeritus, Terrysaid the 30,000 front line fire-fighters in CPF will be well

served by their new leadershipteam.

“I can’t imagine a better teamto lead our fight to protect pub-lic safety, and the men andwomen on public safety’s frontlines,” said Terry. “CPF is ingood hands.”

Speaking of Dan who I amproud to say is a close personalfriend for over 25 years, hasalways been at the frontline ofall the wages, benefits andworking conditions that we allenjoy and sometimes take forgranted. Dan was also the firstto join in a fight when a fire-fighter’s union was under hos-tile attack from management.Case in point when I was pres-ident of the Westminster FireFighter’s Local 2425. We werein the fight for our lives facingbudget cuts, layoffs, termina-tions, apparatus shut downs,personal threats to union mem-bers and then families whichultimately led to a Federal Civil

Rights trial against the City ofWestminster and their Offi-cials. It was Dan who came toour rescue with state support,lawyers, printing and lobbyingin Sacramento on our behalf. Itwas Dan who led the way andorganized all the locals in thestate to come to Westminsteron several occasions to walkprecincts; 700 to 1000 unionfirefighters showed up in sup-port led by President EmeritusDan Terry. It’s personally a sadtime for me to see a great friendretire, but he deserves a long,relaxing and enjoyable retire-ment knowing he has done hisbest for all of us.

Formed in 1938, CaliforniaProfessional Firefighters repre-sents 30,000 local, state andfederal firefighters and emer-gency medical service person-nel. It has nearly 150 localaffiliates, and is the StateCouncil for the InternationalAssociation of Fire Fighters.

Lou Paulson to Head California Professional Firefighters

Continued from page 1

Dan Terry

July/August 2004 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 7

CPF Convention Moves Boldly Forward to“Safeguard Our Success”

by Paul GilbrookDirector

The key figures in the Cali-fornia fire service and the labormovement were all in PalmSprings, as the 39th BiennialCPF State Convention wrappedup a history-making secondday. CPF President Dan Terryformally passed the torch ofleadership to 4th District VicePresident Lou Paulson, whowas unanimously elected as thenew president of CPF. Paulson,who currently serves as presi-dent of Contra Costa CountyFirefighters, is the first newpresident of CPF in 31 years.He was elected by acclamationas part of a dramatic transitionthat also saw the election ofthree new Executive Boardmembers, including the returnof Secretary-Treasurer Emeri-

tus Dallas Jones.Before electing their first

new president in 31 years, CPFmembers greeted IAFF Gener-al President Harold Schaitberg-er. General President Schait-berger delivered a fiery speechsavaging the failure of policymakers in Washington to ade-quately address the needs offront line professional firefight-ers. Schaitberger praised thesacrifice of California firefight-ers who battled last year’swildland fires, and promisedthat their needs would not gounheeded in Washington.

A little closer to home, dele-gates gave a rousing welcometo Senate President Pro TemJohn Burton. One of the bestfriends California firefightershave ever had in Sacramento,Burton presented CPF Presi-

dent Dan Terry with a joint leg-islative resolution honoring his31-years of commitment to ourstate. In turn, Terry presentedBurton with a special awardrecognizing his tireless workon behalf of front line firefight-ers everywhere. Among otherthings, Burton was the authorof SB 402, our groundbreakingbinding arbitration law.

Two other statewide leadersjoined Burton at the podium.State Treasurer Phil Angelides— a possible candidate for gov-ernor in two years — took theopportunity to criticize thenewly-released May BudgetRevision. Angelides said thegovernor’s budget was not fiscal-ly responsible, and does little toclose the structural spending gap.

State Controller Steve West-ly, who appeared before the

May Revise was issued, alsotalked of the need for protect-ing public safety even as weprotect fiscal responsibility.

As they did at Thursday’sopening ceremonies, delegatespaused many times to pay trib-ute to their outgoing president.At one point during the morn-ing session, delegates paused tounanimously approve a resolu-tion re-naming CPF’s Sacra-mento headquarters the“Daniel A. Terry Labor Cen-ter.” A cake in the shape of theCPF building was presented toan emotional and obviouslytouched President Terry.

Saturday’s final day of con-vention considered dozens ofresolutions that will chart thepolicy course that will guideour union through the next twoyears. Los Angeles City Local

112 drafted several resolutionsthat were unanimously adoptedand approved by the CPF Exec-utive Board and the Delegatesattending the convention. Asalways, the CPF Conventionfocused around the mission ofprotecting the lives and fami-lies of our front line firefight-ers, both on the job and on thehome front, so that they canprotect our citizens.

This year’s theme, “Safe-guarding Our Success”,reflects the challenges faced byCalifornia’s firefighters duringa time of transition in ourstate’s political leadership. Thechanges in our state’s fiscal cli-mate are dramatic, demandingthat, more than ever, our pro-fession remain committed tothe goal of a fire service thatreflects the

Photos by Jim Perry

Page 8 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2004

L.A. ‘smoke eaters’ Gather for Reunionby George Boardman

The UnionServing Nevada County

Reprinted with permissionGrass Valley may seem like

an odd location for a reunion ofLos Angeles city firefighters,but it makes sense to DanHostetler, one of the organizers.

More than 30 retired L.A.City “smoke eaters” live inwestern Nevada County, withthousands of others scatteredalong the West Coast.

So western Nevada County

has become a convenient gath-ering spot, and, Hostetler saidFriday, “It’s a good excuse totell stories and old lies that getbigger every year.”

More than 350 people fromas far away as South Carolinagathered at the Nevada CountyFairgrounds for the 25threunion celebration of activeand retired members of the LosAngeles City Fire Department.

They enjoyed large groupdinners at Asian Garden andMargarita’s restaurants, toured

the Empire Mine State HistoricPark, and played golf at BealeAir Force Base. On Saturdaythey finished their weeklongreunion with a large barbecueat the Fairgrounds.

But mainly, they had time tocatch up on each other’s livesand tell stories from the olddays, like the time Hostetler’sstation caught on fire while theywere out fighting a blaze.

The first reunion was organ-ized by Frank Cutter and RayRutter in Chicago Park in 1979,

then moved to the Fairgroundsas attendance grew (the recordwas 600 in 1997).

Hostetler, a retired captainwho moved to Grass Valley in1988, became the chief organ-izer several years ago because“I’m one of the youngest ones.”He said all of the retirees in thearea help organize the event.

In addition to the money thoseattending the event spend whilethey’re in the area, the organiz-ers donate some of the profit tolocal charities. This year, the

beneficiaries are Sierra Servicesfor the Blind and the FriendshipClub. They’ve also made in-kind contributions to theFairgrounds, including the bar-becue pit inside Gate 4.

Part of the proceeds comesfrom an auction of “killer” car-rot cakes made by RalphBischofberger of Grass Valley,at 84 one of the oldest firefight-er at this year’s reunion. BillGoss, the other “Octogenarian”celebrated his 86th birthday onthe day of the BBQ.

July/August 2004 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 9

Photos by Jim Perry

Page 10 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2004

Challenge, Control and Commitment:Building Life Long Resiliency

by Robert T. Scott, Ph.D., CTSDirector, LAFD Behavioral

Health ProgramIn last month’s article I out-

lined the history, rationale,goals and changes taking placewithin LAFD’s BehavioralHealth Program. As we dis-cussed there is a movementafoot within the field of emer-gency services to refocus andexpand the services normallyassociated with stress manage-ment programs. This newdirection and philosophy isbest described as behavioralhealth and resiliency train-ing. It is both a philosophy andlifestyle that encourages theidea of being aware of andactively working towards betterhealth. As part of this philoso-phy one is encouraged to takepositive action in the overallmanagement of their physical,emotional, social, intellectual,and spiritual sides. Accordingto the experts, the conse-quences of shifting to this newproactive paradigm will bebeneficial to you, your family,and the people you work withand care about.

Building strength,resilience and health

Part and parcel of this newapproach is recognizing andbuilding on your strengths andvirtues. Psychology has recent-ly discovered that there is a setof human strengths that are likebuffers against extreme stress,adversity and psychological ill-ness. According to MartinSeligman, Ph.D., the foundingFather of this movement calledPositive Psychology, thosebuffering traits includecourage, optimism, interper-sonal skill, work ethic, hope,honesty, responsibility andperservence. As members of aprofession that is considered tobe one of the ‘most dangerous’and ‘stressful’ in the world,recognizing and building onthese buffering characteristicsmay provide the needed protec-tion for a healthy and lastingcareer.

Hardiness andResilience…

What are these traits andhow can they be

acquired?While Dr. Seligman listed

about eight buffering traits thatcan protect you against stressand adversity, for the purposeof this article I am going to

focus on the three bufferingdimensions known to comprisethe traits of “Hardiness”.

This area of investigation hasits origins in a landmark studyby Dr. Salvatore R. Maddi andhis team of researchers at theUniversity of Chicago. Theyworked with 400 employees atIllinois Bell Telephone (IBT)before, during, and after thegreatest divestiture in history.The results of their researchshowed that almost 2/3 of thepeople had significant wellnessbreakdowns. There were heartattacks, strokes, obesity, poorperformance reviews, demo-tions, depressions, anxietystates, burnout, substanceabuse, divorces, and the like.(The Hardiness Institute, Inc.)

However, the remaining thirdmaintained health and perform-ance and actually ended upthriving on the upheavals.Those who thrived maintainedthree key beliefs that helpedthem to turn adversity to advan-tage. According to the research-es from the Hardiness Institute,“these powerful beliefs appearto interact together to synergis-tically motivate coping behav-iors that help one to managechange.” The three, related,characteristics came to bedescribed as Hardiness. SinceDr. Maddi’s original work inthe early 80’s, researchers haveconsistently confirmed, in studyafter study, the stress bufferingnature of these three character-istics. It’s helpful to rememberthem by referring to them as thethree ‘ C’s ’.

ChallengeThe first characteristic of

those who had maintainedhealth in the face of great stressand upheaval had to do with the“Challenging” way theyapproached life. Those individ-uals strongly believed that onecan learn and grow from posi-tive as well as negative lifeexperiences – they also readilyaccepted the idea that change isa positive and normal charac-teristic of life. This optimistic,challenging attitude about self,the world, and the interactionbetween the two allowed theemployees at Bell to stay moti-vated and able to engage inpeak performance, leadership,and health enhancing thoughtsand behaviors. In a simplisticway the “glass half-full” asopposed to “half-empty” char-acterizes this kind of attitudinalshift. It’s also about takingrisks, adapting easily tochange, and looking at life andadversity with a “give me yourbest shot” attitude. Take aminute now to make a personalinventory of this characteris-tic…Do you approach your joband life with this kind of posi-tive, challenging attitude?

CommitmentThe second characteristic

that the ‘hardy’ group had was

that of “Commitment”. Web-ster’s Dictionary describes theword commitment as “the traitof sincere and steadfast fixityof purpose. “ Being committedto finding meaningful purposein life set these individualsapart from the 2/3’s who hadwellness breakdowns. Addi-tionally this sense of commit-ment led them to feel importantand worthwhile enough toengage fully in work tasksdespite the stressful changestaking place in their environ-ment. To involve oneself inexperiences in meaningfulways whether it is through yourcommitment to your career,your family, and / or religionappear to be the second essen-tial anchor in this bufferingtriad. Take a minute to self-inventory – How would yourate your level of commitment?

ControlThe last characteristic is that

of Control. Control motivatedthe thrive group to find ways toinfluence the outcome ofstressful changes, rather thanlapse into helplessness and pas-sivity. This element of controlhas been studied extensively inthe field of psychology and wasfirst written about by JulianRotter (1966) who later deviseda personality test to measurethis trait. Basically the testallows researchers to assess theextent to which we believe thatthe outcomes of our actions arecontingent on what we do(internal control orientation) oron events outside our personalcontrol (external control orien-tation). (Zimbardo, 1985)

Individuals with an ‘internalcontrol orientation’ would ratehigh on the Hardiness elementof Control. Individuals high onControl tend to perceive them-selves as ‘in charge’ and‘responsible’ for the outcomesof their lives. They tend not tobe ‘blamers’ and ‘whiners’ andfeel in control of their destinyand direction in life.

Again, take a moment andpersonally inventory yourselfon this factor. To help you outwith your inventory you can goto the web at:

http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch11/survey11.mhtml

On this site you will be able totake a short true/false test basedon Rotter’s idea of locus of con-trol. It’s only twenty questionsand just takes a few minutes.You will receive a score, whichwill rank you as how you standon the issue of control orienta-tion, and to a large degree willgive you a reading on your har-diness trait of Control.

Social SupportIn addition to the three C’s,

challenge, commitment, andcontrol, a fourth element hassurfaced in the research –social support. You don’t haveto be a ‘rocket scientist’ to havefigured this one out, but none

the less it has been proven to bea crucial factor in individualswho bounce back and resiststress. In the IBT study,employees who thrived alsopossessed a specific pattern ofgiving and getting social andpersonal assistance and encour-agement to, and from, the theirwork community. According tothe researchers, social supportcontributed strongly to thestrengthening of their attitudesand coping.

For firefighters who workand live together as part of theirnormal shift schedules, this ele-ment may be take on addedimportance. Creating andmaintaining a supportive, car-ing and encouraging environ-ment may go a long way toenhancing and strengtheningyour personal hardiness. Addi-tionally, social support fromindividuals outside your workmay be just as important in fos-tering and building hardiness.Having close family ties,friendships and other avenuesfor social support (religious /spiritual, community basedclubs / interest groups) can addor supplement to what is eithermissing or available in yourwork community.

In summary much can belearned and applied from theHardiness research. Not onlydid the researchers identify agroup of traits that allowed indi-viduals to rise to the occasionand excel under extreme hard-ship but also they were eventu-ally able to create a training pro-gram for troubled employees.Through one hour, once a weekmeeting for 15 weeksresearchers helped IBT employ-ees to develop key attitudes andresources for turning change toopportunity. Over the length ofthe training, it was reported thattrainees decreased in such signsof strain as anxiety, depression,distrust, and blood pressure,while increasing in job satisfac-tion, morale, and the three C’sof Commitment, Control, andChallenge. (Hardiness Institute,

2000-2001)Finally, what we have

learned is that you don’t haveto be born with these hardinesstraits, they can be taught andenhanced within a relativelyshort amount of time. Current-ly I am in discussions with theDepartment to provide trainingin hardiness and resiliency toour entering recruits. Addition-ally, I am planning to incorpo-rate hardiness / resiliency train-ing into some of the on-goingcontinuing education programsrequired of all Departmentmembers. In the meantime,take a few minutes to do a per-sonal inventory on the threeC’s. If you come up short, picka few people who you feelexemplify that sense of control,commitment and challenge.Then sit down with them andlearn how they acquired as wellas maintain those positive atti-tudes and beliefs.

References andResources:

Bonanno, G. (2004). Loss,Trauma, and Human Resilience.American Psychologist, 59, 20 –28.

Kobasa, S.C., Maddi, S.R., &Kahn, S. (1982). Hardiness andHealth: A prospective study.Journal of Personality andSocial Psychology, 42, 164-170.

Rotter, J.B. (1966). Locus ofControl. Psychological Mono-graphs,80, 1-28.

Martin E.P. Seligman (1998).http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan98/pres.html

The Hardiness Institute, Inc:4425 Jamboree, Suite 140Newport Beach, CA 92668

Find more info at: http://www.hardinessinstitute.com/Locus of Control:h t tp : / /www.dushkin .com/connectext/psy/ch11/survey11.mhtmlhttp://www.queendom.com/tests/personality/lc_access.html

Zimbardo, P. G. (1985). Psy-chology and life (11th ed.).Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.

LAFD Fire 4 making a direct hit on a greater alarm brush firenext to the southbound San Diego Freeway near MulhollandDrive. Los Angeles firefighters had the 12 acre fire undercontrol in 30 minutes with no injuries or structure loss.

Photo and information by Mike Meadows, CFPA

July/August 2004 Los Angeles Firefighter Page 11

Thank you one and allThank you Jim Perry for giv-

ing me the opportunity to startmy career with UFLAC andhiring me all those many yearsago. Thank you to all my Pres-idents, past and present, foryour kind words and wonderfulaccolades. It’s been a pleasureand an honor.

It’s been over 30 years butsometimes it feels like just theother day. You have shown andtaught me so much over thepast 30 years – constant dedi-cation to UFLAC and its mem-bers, sometimes in spite ofyour own tremendous personalheartaches, drive, impeccablework ethics, class, constantstrive for perfection, fiscal

awareness…I can go on andon. You have been my inspira-tion. I can honestly say that Ihave worked for the “crème dela crème”. Your membersshould all be proud of you!

I would also like to thank allthe past (and present) Boardmembers and EAP staff who Ihave had the pleasure to workfor. I want to personally thankyou for helping me become abetter person and achieve aricher and fuller life. Last, butdefinitely not least, thank youto my fellow staff members(current and retired) who havebeen my extended family forall these years and for all thosetimes that you have laughed

and cried with me. I couldn’thave asked for a better group ofpeople to work with. You willalways have a big chunk of myheart!

I must also include specialthanks to our Trustees andNegotiating Team members aswell as all the nice membersI’ve had the pleasure of work-ing with and getting to know.Words fail me.

I want to apologize to myhusband Dick for placing himon hold almost every time hecalled UFLAC and making himfeel like the low man on thetotem pole. I’m sure it mustadd up to years by now. Thanksfor your patience and under-

standing. To my daughterHeather, sorry for dragging youto work with me when youwere little and didn’t feel wellenough to go to school. I guesspretending that you werecamping on the floor of theUFLAC library or Boardroomwas really no picnic for you.You were a real trooper! Also,thank you for all those mailingsyou helped me put stamps andlabels on.

Many of you have asked ifI’ve set a retirement date. Yes Ihave; September 28, 2019…but don’t hold me to it in case Iwant to stay a little longer.

Sincerely and fraternally,Maria Maria Riggs

Your Health…

Temperatures Rise, Cholesterol Levels Fall in the Summertime

by: Debbie BustamanteConsultant

Fickewirth & AssociatesHere’s an interesting finding

that appeared in the Archives ofInternal Medicine in late April:cholesterol levels tend to rise inthe winter and fall in the sum-mer – variations that in somecases could affect treatmentdecisions. After reading thisarticle, we thought it would be agood idea to review how choles-terol levels relate to the risk ofheart disease. Armed with thisknowledge, and the findingsfrom this study, UFLAC mem-bers and their families can dis-cuss their cholesterol levels withtheir primary care physician.

High cholesterol levelsincrease the risk of heart disease,which is the number one killerof Americans – both men ANDwomen. The American HeartAssociation estimates about 105million Americans have elevatedcholesterol levels and 48 millionhave dangerously high levels.

We hear the word cholesterolall the time – whether on tele-

vision, in newspaper articles, orfrom our doctor. However,what exactly is cholesterol…and why is it so dangerous?

Cholesterol itself is a soft,waxy substance that is natural-ly found in fats throughout thebloodstream and the body’scells. Cholesterol, which ismade by the liver, has animportant role: it is involved inthe manufacturing of cell mem-branes, some hormones andvitamin D. The problem comeswhen the body has excess cho-lesterol, which can be addedthrough foods such as red meat,poultry and dairy products.Cholesterol is carried betweencells by special carriers calledlow-density lipoproteins (LDL)and high-density lipoproteins(HDL).

LDL aka “Bad”Cholesterol

This is where it can get con-fusing. LDL, also known as“bad” cholesterol, is the domi-nant carrier of cholesterol inthe body. The American HeartAssociation says that LDL cho-lesterol of less than 100 mg/dLis the optimal level and lessthan 130 mg/dL is near optimalfor most people. However, ifyour LDL cholesterol is toohigh, which the AmericanHeart Association says is alevel of 160 mg/dL or more, thecholesterol can start buildingup and block the arteries thatsend blood to the heart and

brain. This, in turn, contributesto plaque formation that clogsarteries and can lead to a heartattack or stroke.

HDL, aka “Good” Cholesterol

On the other hand, HDL, alsoknown as “good” cholesterol,carries about one-third to one-fourth of the cholesterol in theblood. It is believed that HDLcholesterol may help removeexcess cholesterol and carry itaway from the arteries andback to the liver, where it ispassed through the body. Itappears that high levels ofHDL help to prevent heart dis-ease and the American HeartAssociation recommends anHDL level of over 40 mg/dL.

The National Institute ofHealth points out there are sev-eral “therapeutic lifestylechanges” that you can do tohelp lower your LDL choles-terol. These include:

Dietary Changes – The “Ther-apeutic Lifestyle Diet” is a low-saturated fat, low-cholesteroleating plan that calls for less than7% of calories from saturated fatand less than 200 mg of dietarycholesterol per day. The diet rec-ommends only enough caloriesto maintain a desirable weightand avoid weight gain. Foodslow in saturated fat include fat-free or 1% dairy products, leanmeats, fish, skinless poultry,whole grain foods and fruits andvegetables. Choosing soft mar-

garines (liquid or tub varieties)that are low in saturated fat andlimiting foods high in cholesterolsuch as liver, egg yolks andwhole-fat dairy products can alsobe helpful.

If reducing your saturated fatand cholesterol intakes doesnot lower your LDL enough,the amount of soluble fiber inyour diet can be increased.Although our bodies need bothinsoluble and soluble fiber, asignificant benefit of solublefiber is the lowering of LDLcholesterol. Food sources ofsoluble fiber include oats/oatbran, beans, barley, flax seeds,vegetables such as carrots,green beans and broccoli, andfruits such as apples, oranges,and pears.

Weight Management – Ifyou are overweight, you canhelp lower your LDL by losingweight. This is especiallyimportant for those with riskfactors that include hightriglyceride and/or low HDLlevels and for those who areoverweight with a large waistmeasurement (more than 40inches for men and more than35 inches for women).

Physical Activity – Regularphysical activity (30 minuteson most, if not all, days) is rec-ommended for everyone.

Having your cholesterolchecked regularly and dis-cussing the results with yourdoctor can help you decidewhether you need to make any

of these various lifestylechanges.

A University of Massachu-setts study found that thebiggest seasonal changes incholesterol occurred in womenand in people with already ele-vated cholesterol, whose levelsfluctuated as much as 18points. The researchers notedthat these findings highlight thefact that doctors should consid-er measuring patients’ choles-terol levels more than oncebefore prescribing medication– and that levels can definitelyfluctuate over time.

_____________

Through the Blue Cross Cal-iforniaCare HMO and PrudentBuyer PPO plans, UFLACmembers and their familieshave access to the finest doc-tors and two of the most exten-sive networks in the state. WithCaliforniaCare, you can builda relationship with your pri-mary care physician andreceive almost all benefitsincluding office visits, hospital-ization, surgery, routine physi-cal exams, well baby care andeven vision and hearing exams,for little or no out-of-pocketcost. Additionally, PrudentBuyer is the best fee-for-serv-ice type health plan availablefor UFLAC members.

Every day in America, 43.6million people have no healthinsurance - and the greatmajority of them are workingpeople.

Most insured people get theircoverage through their employ-ers. But these days, too manyjobs are providing Wal-Mart-style health coverage that’s tooexpensive for many workersand too stingy to protect work-ing families from financial ruinin case of serious illness.

Employers are trying to shiftmore and more of the soaringcosts of health coverage toworkers and retirees—forcingus to pay higher premiums,deductibles and co-payments—or dropping health coveragealtogether.

Meanwhile, working familiesand seniors are being squeezedby the rising costs of prescrip-tion drugs. Rich drug companiesare raking in huge profits whileolder Americans are forced to

choose between buying foodand paying for life-sustainingprescription medicines.

Get the facts on America’shealth care crisis:

75 million Americans—almost a third younger than65—lacked health insurance atsome point in 2001 or 2002.

Between 2001 and 2002, thenumber of uninsured peopleyounger than 65 increased by2.4 million, the largest realincrease since 1987.

The average cost for a work-er’s family health insurancerose by 50 percent—from$1,619 to $2,412––between2000 and 2002.

The number of people withhealth coverage declined in 42states and the District ofColumbia from 2000 to 2002.

In 2002, 26 percent of U.S.residents could not pay for theirfamilies’ health care needs.

Copyright © 2004 WORKING AMERICA

America Has a Health Care Crisis

EAP MeetingDates

Dr. Garret O’Connor’sMonthly Training

July 22 (Thursday - B Shift)

August 20 (Friday - A Shift)

Where:United Firefighters

Union Office1571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026Information:

(213) 895-0915Refreshments and free

Parking provided

Page 12 Los Angeles Firefighter July/August 2004

Solemn Processionfor former PresidentRonald W. Reagan

1911-2004

Los Angeles City firefighters stretched an American flagbetween two aerial ladder trucks at the Mulholland Driveoverpass on the northbound San Diego freeway. Firefight-ers can be seen standing on their aerial ladders and on topof their apparatus saluting the presidential hearse as itpasses underneath them enroute to the Ronald W. ReaganPresidential Library in Simi Valley.

Photo by Mike Meadows, CFPA

Bob Ortega Work Partyby Dave Perez

Lebec, CA…The last weekin May was a busy one at thehome of Bobby and Sue Orte-ga. Bob is a retired firefighterfrom the Los Angeles FireDepartment. About 2 1/2 yearsago Bob learned that he hadbeen stricken with ALS (Amy-otrophic Lateral Sclerosis),also known as Lou Gehrig’sDisease. Bob proudly servedthe LAFD for 23 years beforebeing stricken with this dis-ease.

With financial support fromthe Los Angeles Firemen’sRelief Association and theUnited Firefighters of LosAngeles City Local 112, asmall scale version of a homemakeover was completed onthe Ortega home. The com-bined effort of more thanseventy volunteers, predomi-nately active and retiredfirefighters, help from manylocal neighbors and family, thehouse was completely scraped,primed, and painted in the

course of a three day period.This was not an easy job.

Had it not been for the out-standing efforts of retiredEngineer Don Majors andEngineer Steve Dodge leadingthe way, we would still bepainting. Don and Stevebrought out their 5th wheeltrailers to Bob and Sue’s moun-tain hideaway and set up campuntil the job was completed.

A special thanks to all themembers of the LAFD…fromretired members to firefighters

from Battalions 4, 17, 12, theFire Prevention Bureau andOCD.

A very special thanks toBusy Beaver Tree Service fortaking their equipment fromthe San Fernando Valley all theway to Lebec and trimmingback the beautiful oak treesthat surround the Ortega home.Rattler’s Barbeque Restaurantin Santa Clarita provided agreat lunch all three days…many thanks.

Thanks to all who made the

trip out to Lebec. It’ not just ahop-skip and a jump fromwhere most of us live, but weall know and love Bobby Orte-ga and his family and would doit all over again in a momentsnotice. Bob, Sue, Jennifer,Samuel and Ben are very spe-cial people who came to dotheir little part in this coming-together of the LAFD family.

Thanks again to all whocame to help one of our own.Yes the LAFD is very muchalive, strong, and united.